


A day is more than enough (to realise I messed up)

by rose_lighters



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Power Swap, Gen, I Was Drunk When I Wrote This, Not Season/Series 02 Compliant, Power Swap
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-22
Updated: 2020-08-22
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:54:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26036728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rose_lighters/pseuds/rose_lighters
Summary: The Hargreeves wake up a few weeks after the apocalypse to find out something is wrong. They have the wrong powers. How will they cope when they realise all they knew is not what it seems?
Relationships: Allison Hargreeves & Klaus Hargreeves, Number Five | The Boy & Klaus Hargreeves, The Hargreeves Family
Comments: 6
Kudos: 226





	A day is more than enough (to realise I messed up)

**Author's Note:**

> Ernest Hemingway one said “write drunk, edit sober.” But who has time for editing in this economy?

Since the apocalypse that never was things had been relatively quiet in the Hargreeves house. They had all decided it was best to stay at the academy together since Five’s warnings about Vanya still being a bomb. Klaus had been the most sober he had been since he was thirteen and discovered the delightful world of booze. The point was it was quiet.

Then it wasn’t.

Five noticed first but honestly who’s surprised? He had tried to go down to the kitchen for his morning coffee but found that his teleportation was not working, there was not even a spittle of blue sparks to indicate anything happening. He wrote it off as a faulty morning, maybe he had just used his powers too much the day prior?

The next was Vanya, since they had fixed the apocalypse and she had stopped taken her pills she had felt a constant pressure in her chest, almost like the anxiety she had been falsely diagnosed with but just a tad more surreal. But when she woke up that feeling was gone. There was no tension in her bones only a quiet lent up energy. It was not different enough to to notice quite yet though.

The one who bought it the attention of the Hargreeves was Klaus who had woken from the usual nightmares (ghosts, dead lovers, the horrors of homelessness in the city) calling out for Ben only for Ben not to be there. In fact no ghosts were there. For the first time in as long as klaus could remember there was nothing there at all. He was finally surrounded by the quiet and it was good. Well, kind of. Within two minutes he missed his brother. The silence was haunting in a way the ghosts had never been.

“I can’t see any ghosts.” Klaus informed five at the breakfast table. It was only him, five and Vanya there yet, the others still sleeping in. “It’s so quiet, how do you all deal with the silence?”

“What?”

“There’s no screaming?”

“Yeah?” Five replied. “There shouldn’t be?”

“Oh? There normally is but there’s no ghosts today.” Klaus commented, turning around slowly. “Not even Benny-Boy.”

“Hmm.” Was five’s only response.

Their breakfast was interrupted by a girlish shreak from Allison’s room. 

Allison’s had awaken to the sight of a man with half a head. The disturbing part was how familiar he looked. Okay no the disturbing part was apparently being watched as she slept and waking up to ear shattering screami;g. We vibe tho.

The point was that there was some creep in her room with half a skull and ny the time the rest of her siblings had figured out what she was so scared of five had figured out what the issue was. Their powers had switched. ThTs why five couldn’t teleport that morning and Allison had woken to a sight none of the others could see, they simply had woken with the wrong power. 

The next step was figuring out who had what.

“Well obviously Allison has Klaus’s.” Five began their family meeting. “But no one else’s is quite so obvious.”

“I think I have Luther’s.” Intoned Vanya. “I feel restless and I broke my glass this morning.”

“Has Ben’s switched?” Klaus asked and all eyes switched to him. “What? If someone has Eldritch beings in their stomachs they may want to know!”

“I think I might?” Diego replied. “My stomach has felt off all morning.”

“Klaus, who’s do you have?” Five asked.

“Allison’s maybe? I’m not sure, I haven’t tried to teleport or Rumor anyone. I’m pretty sure it’s not Vanya’s.”

“Ben says he has Vanya’s.” Reported Allison.

“That’s a relief.” Said five. “Now we don’t have to worry about the end of times.”

“I have Diego’s.” Said Luther. “Well, probably. My washing landed perfectly in the cor-“

But before he could finish a cry came from Allison. “Oh, god!”

“What is it?”

“Are they always like this?” Allison turned to Klaus. “I can’t hear myself above all the screaming.”

“Oh yeah, I - uh - suppose it’s pretty bad.” Klaus stammered awkwardly.

“What is it?” Asked Luther.

“They’re so loud. The ghosts haven’t stopped screaming at me and there are so many of them.” Allison explained. “Every time I look at one it starts up again, they won’t let me think.”

“Well luckily Klaus is always high so he doesn’t deal with that.” Replied Luther.

“He’s been sober since the apocalypse dickhead.” Diego said, rising up to stand in front of Luther. “So whatever Allison is seeing Klaus sees all the time.”

“Grow up Diego! There is no way Klaus is actually sober, he just says he is so he has more freedom and you’ll feel bad for him on a comedown. Allison is struggling worse than Klaus ever has to.”

“Take it back, asshole!”

“No way, it’s the truth.”

“Hey, hey guys.” Klaus interrupted making shushing sounds at the pair. “Why don’t we chill out and figure out what’s going on huh?”

“Shut up Klaus!” They said in unison.

“You shouldn’t have to put up with him putting you down like that bro.” Continued Diego. “You’ve worked so hard on getting clean.”

“He isn’t clean.” Gritted out Luther.

“Ben says he is.” All eyes turned to Allison. “Ben says he’s been trying really hard and he’s been clean for months.”

“Ben’s been stuck with him for years, of course he’s gonna take his side.” Luther argued.

“I don’t have to put up with this.” Klaus said. “Peace out bitches.”

And Klaus vanished in a flash of blue.

“Well, I guess I know who’s power I have.” Five stood and walked out the door. “Call me when you figure this out.” 

And like that the rest of the Hargreeves siblings were left trying to figure out powers so unfamiliar to them.

* * *

“Are you okay?” Five stood in the door way of Klaus’s room as the latter fumbled with wool and needles.

“I thought it’d be better not hearing the ghosts all the time but it’s almost worse.” Klaus confessed. “I mean I can barely hear over the screams most days but now? It’s like being on drugs again and it only makes me miss it more.”

“Must be nice having the quiet though?” Five said, stepping into the room to sit on the edge of his brothers bed.

“Not really. Not if it means not having Ben.”

“Hmm?”

“He was the only one I could depend on for most of my life. You know we were close before you left?” Five nodded. “Well we got closer after and then after the funeral I summoned him and he hasn’t left since. Even when I really wanted him to. Drugs and alcohol wouldn’t send him away. I d9nt think anything would. He was the only one who stuck around and now after eighteen years I can’t see him? It’s hell.”

“Surely it’s better than the ghosts?”

“If I wanted rid of all the ghosts but Benny I would have quit years ago.” Klaus sighed. “I was looking for someone.”

“Are they worth it?” Five couldn’t wrap his head round it.

“They were worth ten months at war and they are worth a lifetime more.”

Five thought of Delores and couldn’t help but smile. They really weren’t much different.

* * *

Allison woke the next day to blissful silence and couldn’t help but smile, she had hated her powers since Patrick had caught her using them on Claire but the exposure she’d had to Klaus’s changed her mind completely. Boy was she grateful for being able to turn her powers on and off like she could, never having to deal with the constant screaming that her little brother had grown used to. She made a promise to herself and Ben to look out for the seance more from then onwards, if anyone needed a little kindness it was him.

Luther had spent the day missing his strength. Sure he had great aim and his bath had been relaxing as he hadn’t needed to worry about breathing but he had forgotten how much effort small things could be. Actually using some force to open a jar was (pardon the pun) jarring and he was glad to be back at optimum strength.

Diego has not enjoyed his time with Ben’s power. It felt wrong havin the power of his dead brother and for it to be so hard to control? No thanks. He missed Ben like crazy the whole day because he couldn’t fathom how sweet the boy had been when he was alive. It took enough control keeping the creature inside let alone smiling though out. Knives were cooler anyway.

Vanya quite liked having super strength. Not being a risk for blowing up the world was pleasant as was being able to essentially do as she pleased. The constant control it took fe,t second nature now she was off her pills and overall it was a good rest bite.

Five missed the travel. He never rumoured anyone. Self control was something he had come to value after the commission.

Ben was dead, what could he do with sound powers when Allison couldn’t manifest him?

* * *

Their treatment of Klaus changed dramatically though. Allison’s reactions to the ghosts were too extreme for them not to do something and the bursting of Klaus’s eardrums a week later only solidified this. He came to confess the drugs were to block out the ghosts and the memory of the mausoleum and his siblings stood by him. Luther learned what being number four truly meant and whilst he had to hear it from Allison and not Klaus (as he still didn't believe him) he grew to be a better brother.

All was well.

**Author's Note:**

> My only aim for this was to write a fic whilst drunk. It is why it so short and has bad grammar personal challenges over good work is always the way to go


End file.
